PEOPLE are being made to sit in the street while they wait for a bus – after the shelter was removed in a row over payment. Regular users of the bus stop in Chequersfield, WGC, either have to stand without cover or sit on the kerb after Adspace 2000, the

PEOPLE are being made to sit in the street while they wait for a bus - after the shelter was removed in a row over payment.

Regular users of the bus stop in Chequersfield, WGC, either have to stand without cover or sit on the kerb after Adspace 2000, the company in charge of bus shelters in Welwyn Hatfield, removed it due to lack of payment for its upkeep.

The cost of meeting the bus shelter is the responsibility of developers Taylor Wimpey, which owns the land the bus shelter stood on.

Victor Simons lives in Scholar's Walk, Chequersfield.

The 63-year-old, who is registered disabled, said: "I now have to sit on the kerb and wait for a bus.

"It's a public facility and it was part of the planning conditions that they [Taylor Wimpey] had to provide the bus stop, and they have clearly failed to do that.

"This is an example of a large company taking unfair advantage of a small contractor, not just to the detriment of them, but to the public as well."

A spokesman for Taylor Wimpey said: "All contractors engaged on Taylor Wimpey sites have a legal responsibility to ensure adequate insurance is in place to carry out their works," a spokesman said.

"We are waiting for the company which built the bus shelter to forward to us its policies.

"The decision to remove the shelter was taken by others, and we are sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused."

A spokeswoman for Welwyn Hatfield Council said: "The provision of a shelter on the Chequersfield site is a requirement of the developer Taylor Wimpey on the planning agreement.

"The contractor informed us that due to lack of payment by Taylor Wimpey, the shelter has been removed."

She added the council was working with Hertfordshire County Council in order to resolve the issue.